Pierson the Heart
by Jenna Cassie Herdz
Summary: The Triple X Program. Started by Xander Cage, aka Triple X. Natasha Pierson finds herself recruited forcably and she's partnered with the man himself. But this mission in Tokyo will bring more than they bargained for.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Welcome, one and all, to my my Triple X fanfic! I wrote this when i was going through my Vin Diesel phase but it never got up until i got to the secon chappie. Now, I'VE HAD IT! IT'S BEING POSTED! LOL anyway, enjoy!

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_**Prologue**_

She raced down the street, but the man behind her was still on her tail. Weaving in and out of people, she looked behind her every few steps, breathing heavily from running. She could spot them a mile away. Feds. All of them were alike. They all had that trimmed look, even when they were grunged out, they were all the same.

She dodged into an alley and shoved herself against the wall as a crowd of people passed it. She held her breath when she saw the fed following her stop at the entrance and look around, but the bonehead didn't think to look down the alley, as his back was to her. He rushed down the street and only when he was far enough away did she let out a sigh of relief.

Smiling triumphantly she turned and headed down the alley. But someone was waiting for her. Another fed. This one didn't bother trying to make her come quietly. She gasped when her nose brushed against the barrel of the gun he was pointing in her face, her sapphire eyes wide in terrified shock as her hands shot into the air.

"C-Come on, man," she shuddered. "I gotta eat _some_how. Just gimme a slap on the wrist or somethin' huh?"

The fed said nothing as she started backing up, slowly. He lowered the gun slightly, and she gave another sigh of relief, though it was subtle. This wasn't the first time she'd had a gun pointed in her face, but it still terrified her, and each time was one too many.

"That's better," she said with a quick smile, and moved some of her bleached blonde hair from her face. "Now, I'm gonna turn around…" She spun slowly around on her heel. "…and walk away."

A small pop came from behind her and she groaned in pain when something pricked her back hard through her clothes.

"Ouch," she grumbled as she suddenly felt sleepy. "That wasn't cool."

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she collapsed onto the cement slowly, still breathing, just sleeping.

xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx

Natasha opened her eyes, slowly, her head splitting from…who knew what that fed had shot her with. Giving a groan, she lifted her head and rubbed her eyes before squinting to try to figure out where she was. It looked like a bar, and a really _bad_ one at that. She saw all the neon lights behind the bar she sat at and heard billiard balls clicking together behind her, but she didn't turn around.

"Well, look who just woke up."

She jumped with a start when she realized the bartender was standing a few feet away on his side of the bar and smirking at her.

"Nice to see you're not dead," he continued and she frowned at him slightly, but dismissed it.

"How did I end up here?" she asked instead in a raw voice.

"Some guy dropped you off here," the bartender shrugged, serving up a mug of beer for another man at the bar. "Didn't give a name or anything, just flopped you into the chair and told me to watch you. Gave me twenty bucks for it."

"_Twenty isn't much_," she thought to herself. "_Especially__ to watch someone stranger who could be a __murderer__ for all you know. He looks like a guy who would want __fifty__ for this sort of job_."

She filed the thought away in her mind and chanced at glancing over her shoulder. Five guys all dressed in biker studs and leather were playing pool, but she noticed something strange about all of them. One of the guys was awfully scrawny to be a biker…he looked like a guy the other ones picked on. She didn't doubt that was probably the case, but she filed that away in her mind as well.

She suddenly realized one the burlier bikers was looking at her and grinning and she turned back to the bar. The clicking of the billiard balls stopped, and she heard faint mumbles and chuckles but still didn't turn around.

"_You know, if I had __known__ I was gonna be kidnapped and brought into a biker bar, I wouldn't have worn this outfit showing all this leg and all this cleavage_," she thought to herself. She pulled the edges of her pink sweater a little more over her chest and quickly zipped it up. At least she could cover _that_ much. She felt panicked when she heard footsteps behind her and took a silent deep breath to calm herself.

"Hey, babe," a deep, smoker's voice smirked behind her. "What's your name?"

"Amanda," she lied, not looking at him. She groaned inwardly when she saw a guy lean on the bar next to her out of the corner of her eye, one of the other's on the other side of her.

"If only it were true," he smirked and she shot a glare at him.

"What do you care?" she retorted.

"I'd wanna call you by the right name in bed," he grinned, smugly and Natasha rolled her eyes as she looked away from him. "Come on, sweet cheeks. What's your _real_ name?"

"None of your business," she snapped. She jumped when she felt his hand on her rear and turned a burning gaze at him then warned through gritted teeth, "Get your hand off my ass."

"But it's such a nice ass," he smirked again as his buddies chuckled all around her.

"I'm warning you," she replied. "If you don't get your hand off my ass in two seconds, I'll knock _you_ on _yours_."

"Oh, I like a girl who can play rough," he retorted, giving her rear a squeeze.

Natasha knocked his hand away with her forearm and swung herself around on the stool she sat on and kicked him in the stomach. He grunted and doubled over, backing away.

One of his buddies came up behind her and threw his arms around her from behind. She threw her head back, smacking her head into his nose and he too stumbled away in pain, letting her go as she stood from the stool.

Another took a swing at her but she ducked and swung a high kick at his head, sending him to the ground.

The scrawny guy yanked another one of the bikers in front of him and that one charged her. She stepped out of the way and he ran into the bar with enough momentum to throw him over it and onto the bartender's side.

She turned to the scrawny biker who stared back at her in terror as she took a fighting stance, waiting for him to attack. He swallowed and was about to try to fight her when the other guy at the bar stopped him.

"That's enough," he called and Natasha frowned as she turned to the bar. The man stood and turned to her. He was a black man in a suit, which she had noticed before, but had decided to file that away instead of question it, and he had a large scar on the left side of his face.

"These doofs yours?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. The man chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You can say that," he nodded. "That was very impressive, Miss Pierson."

"Awfully rude to know someone's name and not introduce one's self," she retorted, flipping some of her hair from her face.

"The name's Gibbons," he replied.

"Well, I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I'd be lying," she said. "Now what the hell am I doing here?"

"You were taking a test, which you passed," he replied, vaguely.

"A test," she echoed slowly, dipping her chin down and raising a brow at him, then nodded in realization. "Oh, _that's_ why this all seems fake!

"First, the bartender saying he was given only _twenty bucks_ to watch me, when _clearly_ it would take more than that for anyone in this bar to watch out for me. Second, a well dressed man in a bar like this? Unlikely. And then the fact that this guy over here…" She gestured to the scrawny man behind her, "…doesn't even _look_ like a biker!" She stared at Gibbons for a moment with a huge, fake grin that dropped to a bored stare as she said, "This was a stupid, inaccurately portrayed test."

Gibbons started laughing and she rolled her eyes. When he was finished laughing he said, "Well, you'll certainly get along with him."

"Him?" Natasha frowned as he walked towards the door and she hurried after him. "What the hell---?! Who's 'him'?! No, wait, I don't care! I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me what's going on! Who the hell do you work for?!"

He turned around and they both stopped near the door as he turned to her with a smirk and said, "Welcome to the NSA, _agent_ Pierson."

He strolled off toward the door, leaving Natasha seemingly nailed to the floor in shock, her wide eyes still staring at the door.

"NSA?" she breathed and the scrawny biker came up behind her.

"That's right," he smiled and she whipped her head around to stare her wide eyes at him.

"What do you mean, 'That's right'?!" she questioned. "I'm a criminal! Do you know how many streets I've walked for money?! How many perfectly executed robberies I've arranged with gangs?! I was trying to get _away_ from the feds because of that, and now they want me to _become_ one?!"

"It's a new program," the man shrugged, glancing around at the other men on the floor who were just now starting to get up then turned back to her. "It's called The Triple X Program."

"What the hell is it? They bring in scum bags and try to turn them around to work for the greater good?"

"Not exactly. He'll tell you all about it."

"Who? Scarface over there?"

"No. Your new partner. He was the one that started it all."

"Who the hell is he?!"

"You'll see," the guy smirked, heading toward the door and Natasha followed. "He's not a guy that can be described. You have to _meet_ him."

"Great," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "Can I at least know his _name_?"

"Xander Cage."

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**A/N:** yes, yes, it was very similar to Xander's test, and it was oh so foreseeable that she was gonna be his partner. I know, i know. I'm predictable aren't i? i really don't know where the whole Triple X Program came from. i just figured they'd continue with it since it worked so well the first time. well, reviews, please?


	2. The New Kid

**A/N: **next chappie! enjoy!

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_**Chapter 1: The New Kid**_

"Alright, Gadget Boy," Xander said, walking with agent Toby Lee Shavers through the equipment and gadget room. "What d'you have for me now? More exploding bandages?"

"Better," Shavers smirked. "Gibbons found you a new partner."

"Is that right?" Xander smirked back. "So what is it? A robot? That why we're here so I can meet 'im?"

"Not him," Shavers replied rounding a corner, Xander right behind him. "We're here for your new car."

"What's wrong with my GTO?" Xander questioned.

"All the stuff in it is obsolete," Shavers replied and stopped at a door that needed hand-print identification and a key code to open.

"Don't tell me Gibbons got me a piece of shit to drive around in," Xander pleaded as the door opened and the men walked in.

"Of course not," Shavers replied. "I told him my friend X needed a kick-ass car, and he found one."

Xander waited a moment for Shavers to tell him about the car, but when he said nothing he asked, "Well, what is it, Geek?"

"You'll see," Shavers smirked as they walked deeper into the darkened room. Xander looked around, trying to see through the dark, but it was useless. He suddenly felt hands on his arms moving him to a certain spot in the room and he tried getting away.

"Geek, what the hell---?!"

"Just trust me, X," Shavers replied and his hands left his arms and Xander rolled his eyes. This kid had a flare for the dramatic, and it was starting to get on his nerves. The lights flickered on, finally and Xander blinked from the sudden light before looking to the center of the room.

There was a '67 Charger painted the same color as his GTO with added flames running red and yellow from the front toward the back. It was what was on the hood of the Charger that had him in disbelief of what was in front of him. She had bleach blonde hair that was loose and fell around her shoulders with a single braid parted to the left and sapphire blue eyes set above a petite nose and full pink lips obviously covered in gloss. Her feet were at the bumper as she sat across the hood, a tiny white top, white short shorts, elbow long fingerless gloves and long socks that reached her knees from the white shoes she wore. The only down side about this, that Xander could see, was that the girl did _not_ look happy.

"I'm gonna kill this kid," she snapped, gesturing to Shavers and proving Xander right about her mood. She slid off of the hood of the car and marched toward Shavers who suddenly coward behind Xander. "He told me to wear this stupid outfit and sit on that car, and when I said 'No' somebody knocked me out from behind and I woke up on the hood of that car dressed like _this_!"

She presented herself and spun around, ignoring Xander's wide-eyed expression of wonder and confusion.

"Let me at him!" she shouted and she dove for Shavers. Xander had enough of this, and grabbed her waist to keep her from advancing on Shavers, picked her up in the air and stood her in front of him again. She stared at him in her own disbelief and he looked at her.

"Act your age," he said and she scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now, who are you?"

"Who are _you_?" she retorted and turned her nose up as if she wasn't really interested.

"Xander Cage," he replied without hesitating at all. Her head whirled around at him and her eyes were as wide as saucers. All he could do was smirk in triumph as she looked him up and down in evaluation.

"_You're_ Xander Cage?" she nearly shrieked and his smirk grew. She couldn't believe her eyes! She had expected the same kind of guy she'd been taken in by…trimmed, no ink at all, military haircut in a suit. They took this guy off the street _directly_ and didn't bother trying to clean him up. His head was shaved clean, and his exposed arms had tattoos all over them. She could see a few scars below the ink and suddenly realized he seemed familiar to her somehow.

"Xander Cage…" she hummed in thought and Xander frowned at her then turned the frown to Shavers. Shavers shrugged as they looked back at her. She suddenly snapped her fingers, her face lighting up in realization.

"_That's_ where I've heard that name!" she started. "You're that extreme sports guy that does all those stupid stunts!"

"Hey!" Xander snapped, lowering his arms. "They're not 'stupid'!"

"Being reckless with your life like that _is_ stupid," she replied, smoothly.

"Where the hell do you get off---?!"

"One of my exes watched you all the time on TV," she cut in. "He'd be _so_ psyched if he found out I met you." She held her hand out for him to shake and the two men frowned at her in astonishment at her mood swing. "Name's Natasha Pierson. I'd say 'Nice to meet you,' but I'd kinda be lying."

"Yeah, I'd say, 'Likewise,' but _I'd_ be lying, too," Xander retorted, shaking her hand. They both looked over at Shavers expectantly, but Xander was the one who asked, "What's she doing here?"

"She's your new partner," Shavers replied and Xander laughed.

"No, seriously," he smirked. Shavers said nothing more and Xander's smirk dropped to disbelief. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Welcome to my world a few seconds ago," Natasha retorted and Xander shot his gaze between her and Shavers.

"I can't work with her!" he insisted and Natasha rolled her eyes and Shavers frowned.

"Why not?" he shrugged. "Gibbons thought you'd get along great."

"Well, he thought wrong!" Xander replied.

"Oh, quit being such a baby," Natasha snapped and both men looked at her in surprise. "You think _I_ like this any more than _you_ do? I didn't _ask_ to be brought here, but since I am, we might as well _try_ to get along, don't you think?" She stepped a little closer to the two men who continued to stare at her. "Now, the Geek had some stuff he wanted to show the both of us." She turned to Shavers. "Lead the way, Gadget Boy."

Shavers frowned then turned to the car as he mumbled, "You two are _made_ for each other."

Natasha yanked Xander's hand and dragged him behind Shavers but he yanked his hand away to walk behind her unassisted. She turned and stuck her tongue out at him then turned to Shavers as he leaned on the driver's side of the Charger.

"Go ahead and get in, X," he entreated, opening the car door. Xander got in and shifted to get comfortable as he started the car then rolled down the window for Shavers to lean into it. "Now, it's got all the bells and whistles your GTO has, but better quality, and more sophisticated buttons and switches."

They looked over at the passenger side when Natasha slid in and smiled quickly at them then turned her attention to the car. Shavers leaned over and pressed the power button on the radio, holding it down for about five seconds then letting it go. The radio flipped around to reveal a new set of buttons and the dashboard flipped to reveal more buttons. Natasha squeaked in surprise and Xander gave an impressed smirk and head nod then looked at Shavers.

"Good work, Geek," he commended.

"Wanna take her for a test drive?" Shavers wondered and Xander gave him a look. "Right, stupid question. Of _course_ you do."

The agent leaned out of the window and ran toward a panel next to the door of the room and Xander looked over at Natasha.

"You ready for this?" he asked, not really interested in her answer.

"Whatever," she shrugged and turned her attention to examining her nails. Xander frowned but smirked at a thought that crossed his mind. Her cool attitude was about to change as soon as he hit the gas. The wall behind them lifted away to reveal a huge indoor obstacle course. Xander's smirk grew as he shifted the car into reverse and put the gas pedal to the metal.

Tires squealed on the linoleum floor and shot the car backwards. He spun the car around, still in reverse and as soon as he'd positioned the Charger at the starting line of the obstacle course he shifted gears. He looked over at Natasha only to see her still examining her nails. Gripping the wheel with one hand he turned his attention ahead again, revving the engine slightly.

"_Get ready to scream your head off, Pierson_," he thought to himself with a smirk. He hit the gas and the tires squealed again as they headed toward some cones spread out across the floor. He weaved around them expertly and turned sharply, waiting to hear Natasha scream or yell at him to slow down but she didn't. At the turn he saw a cardboard shaped civilian pop up from the floor and swirled around it expertly then made a U-turn toward a brick wall in the obstacle course. He glanced around the dashboard and the console where the switches were and made a mental note of where the rocket launcher switch was then revved his engine as he looked ahead again.

Xander slammed his foot onto the gas and the tires squealed as the car charged toward the wall. Natasha only continued examining her nails and when Xander glanced at her completely ignoring what was going on around her, his foot fell a little heavier onto the gas pedal. The wall was coming up fast and he waited for her to look up and scream bloody murder but she didn't. He finally leaned over and hit the rocket launcher. The wall exploded and crumbled and the car zoomed through the flames and rubble. Xander spun the car to turn it around and it skidded sideways until the car landed on the starting mark and stopped. He sighed with a smirk of satisfaction and looked at Natasha. She was _still_ looking at her nails.

"Having fun?" she asked and finally looked up at him as he glared at her. "You drive like an adrenaline junkie."

"How would you know?!" Xander snapped. "You weren't even paying attention!"

"Like I didn't notice the car whipping around or didn't hear the tires squealing!" she shot back sarcastically. "I can smell the rubber burning off the tires!"

Xander opened his mouth to respond but she only turned and got out of the car as Shavers came running into the huge room.

"How do you like it, X?" he asked as Xander got out of the car.

"What do you care how I drive?!" he shouted at Natasha as she started walking toward the exit. "I'll drive how I want! I'm not gonna let some chick back-seat drive! And don't think I'm gonna put up with your shit on the mission!"

Natasha stopped and turned toward the men, a hand on her hip as Shavers glanced between the two. He almost cringed back when he saw Natasha's sapphire eyes land on him in a burning gaze.

"I want my clothes back, Gadget Boy!" she ordered and turned toward the door again to wait outside. Shavers jumped when it slammed and Xander sighed in exasperation.

"Why me?" he groaned, rubbing his face.

"Gibbons wants you both in the briefing room when you're done here to go over the mission," Shavers reported and Xander sighed again, slamming the car door shut and nodding to Shavers that he heard him. He walked toward the door but stopped and turned to the agent.

"Where are her clothes?" he groaned and Shavers hurried off to get them. When he came back Xander yanked them away from him.

"Peace offering?" Shavers couldn't help but ask and Xander glared at him. The truth was he didn't want to have to hear her gripe about it. The new kid was turning out to be a _real_ pain in the ass. He walked out the door without responding to Shavers and glanced at Natasha as she leaned on the wall next to the door. She looked up at him and frowned when she saw her clothes and shoes in his hands.

"Here," he said, flatly, handing them to her. She stared at them for a minute before taking them and picking at them slightly.

"Thanks," she mumbled and they both stood in silence for a moment. She thought she should apologize for being such a pain, but didn't. She'd been brought here against her will and made a spy within a day. If anyone should apologize it should be the agents that brought her here, or better yet, the whole NSA.

"Gibbons wants us in the briefing room, A-sap," Xander suddenly said and Natasha nodded. "You can change in the bathroom before we head there, if you want."

"Yeah," she replied then muttered, "Thanks."

Another awkward silence passed before Xander said, "The bathrooms are this way…"

He gestured down the hall and started walking and Natasha followed quickly. They didn't say anything as he led her down the hall and she almost felt like she _should_ say something. At least make conversation.

"Here," he said, gesturing to a door and she nodded as she headed into the bathroom. "I'll wait for ya."

"Yeah," she replied and hurriedly ran in to change out of this stupid outfit. As she changed she couldn't help feeling that she should at least try to get along with him. After all they were going to be on a mission for who knows how long together. They'd have to work together in order to accomplish it. She made a promise then and there that she would try to get along with him…no matter how unpleasant he seemed now.

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**A/N:** i figured Xander would keep the GTO but get a new car with a more sophisticated console and stuff. yes, the obsticale course was rather boring, but he was really just testing out the feel of the car, not the weapons. anywho, reviews?


	3. Briefing

**A/N:** NEXT! Chapter two. ENJOY!

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_**Chapter 2: Briefing**_

Xander and Natasha shuffled into the room as Xander shut the door behind them as they both turned to see a table and Gibbons on the other end of it, waiting patiently.

"Here's the happy couple," he smiled, jokingly and the two glared at him as they stepped away from each other. "Have a seat."

The two glared at each then stepped to either side of the table and sat in front of each other as Gibbons pulled two file folders from the table and handed one each to them which they both took.

"The place is Tokyo, Japan," Gibbons began, sitting at the head of the table. "Two of our best agents were sent there to infiltrate a motorcycle gang that was somehow supplied with high-tech weapons but before they could get close to the supplier, they were killed by the gang. Somebody tipped them off that they were NSA."

"A motorcycle gang with bee-bee guns?" Natasha summarized, giving Gibbons a glare as she sat back in her chair, pushing the file away. "_That's_ why I was dragged off the street by force and brought here?"

"They've got a little more than bee-bee guns," Xander replied for Gibbons, looking through his file. "If you'd quit complaining and read your file, you'd know that."

"Heat seeking rockets," Gibbons began to list as Natasha pulled her file back toward her, her glare sent to Xander, "Bazookas, armor piercing rounds for machine guns, sniper rifles, anything you can think of that'll shoot bullets. Mostly military issue, but how these whack jobs got a hold of them, we don't know."

"Obviously," Natasha scoffed, flipping through the file.

"This gang call themselves the Blue Tigers," Gibbons continued, ignoring her remark. "They all ride motorcycles painted some shade of blue and their helmets have tigers on them, they also have tattoos of a blue tiger somewhere on their bodies. They won't be hard to find, _or_ run into. They think they own most of Tokyo."

"Live up to their name, do they?" Xander smirked in amusement.

"They take their name very seriously," Gibbons confirmed then leaned back in his chair and looking at Xander. "I'm sending the two of you in. Think you can hack it with the new kid?"

"Kid?" Natasha wondered if she'd heard right and Xander only smirked at her glare.

"I think I can handle her," he assured Gibbons, sitting back and Natasha stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief before standing and leaning forward slightly on the table.

"Listen here, Mr. Clean," she started through clenched teeth. "I can 'handle' myself. I fought off a few biker bar flies for my test, or didn't you hear?"

"Oh, I heard," Xander replied, ignoring the fact that she'd called him a name. "But hearin' ain't seein'. You wanna prove yourself to me? I'll let you fight off a few of those Hot Rodders yourself, no problem. But don't come crying back to me if you break a nail, Princess."

"I don't need to prove myself to _you_!" Natasha spat back. "I've spent my whole life keeping guys like _you_ from feeling me up thinking I won't do a thing because we were in a public place. Weren't they surprised when I knocked them on their asses in front of all their buddies? Like I said, I can '_handle_' myself." She looked at Gibbons and asked, "Are we done now?"

"Yeah," Gibbons nodded, carelessly and pushed her file a little closer to her. "Your plane ticket's in there. You leave tomorrow morning so you both should get a good night's sleep. One of my guys will pick you up. Your equipment will be sent to the hotel you'll both be staying in. The reservations are with your ticket."

"Fine," Natasha replied, taking the file off the desk and heading for the door. "I'm going home."

With that she marched out the door and shut it behind her. Xander couldn't help but chuckle as he stood and took his file with him as well.

"Hold it, Triple X," Gibbons ordered and Xander turned around with a glare as Gibbons stood and walked toward him. "I don't think you understood what I said when I asked if you could hack it with her. I didn't want to have to explain myself in front of her, though."

"So, what're you talkin' about then?" Xander asked, not sure if he cared or not.

"You two seem to hate each other," Gibbons observed and Xander gave a scoff before the agent continued. "That could change in a heart beat. You two better be careful with your covers out there. If something goes wrong they'll try to use one of you to get the other to back down. Like I told you before…there's _always_ a girl."

"You think I'd fall for that scrawny little mood-swinger?!" Xander chuckled, pointing his file at the door. "What are you on and where can I get some of it?"

"Just be careful, Xander," Gibbons insisted. "I don't need two more dead bodies on my watch, got it?"

Xander scoffed and waved him off as he walked toward the door and left the room. Shutting the door behind him he turned to walk down the hall but ran into an obstacle…Natasha. She was sprawled on the ground, a few papers scattered out of the file folder she had taken with her and Xander could see the plane tickets in her other hand, though she was facing away from him.

"Oh, great," he grumbled and rolled his file into a tube to stuff it into the inside pocket of his leather jacket then stepped over the unconscious Natasha to gather _her_ papers. He stuck them in her purse, sealed it then went to work trying to pull her up and carry her.

"Damn, for a scrawny bitch you sure are heavy," he strained, pulling her up enough to sit her up then pulling her into his arms to finally stand. She gave a groan but didn't wake up, much to his disappointment. He didn't want to have to carry her all the way to the parking lot. He knew she didn't have her own car here if these guys did anything to her like they'd done to him. He suddenly felt a small pang of pity for her at the thought of the agents doing to her what they'd done to him.

"Probably didn't even see it coming, did you, Pierce?" he muttered, knowing she couldn't hear him, but saying it anyway as he started down the hall to the exit. Passing agents gave him frowns and stares on the way to the elevator but he didn't care. Why should he? She had just passed out and he was going to take her home. What was the big deal? Coming to the elevator he used his foot to tap the down button, being careful that he didn't topple over in the process. After he did this, he suddenly frowned at himself.

"What the hell am I doing?" he asked himself, as no one else was around. "I'm no baby sitter! She can take _herself_ home!"

He looked around and saw a bench on the other end of the hall and set her down on it. He sat her sitting up but she immediately fell so that she was _laying_ on the bench. He shrugged and turned to the elevator to wait for it to open. It took a while. A _long_ while. Long enough for him to glance at her several times only to see her still passed out. He looked at her one last time, strands of her bleach blonde hair lying across her face, one arm around her waist as the other fell, limply over the bench, her hand dangling out at the end of her arm.

Xander sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation as he felt guilty enough to walk toward her and lift her into his arms again as he grumbled, "She's your partner now. You can't just leave her lying unconscious on a bench in NSA."

The elevator doors finally opened and he was somewhat relieved that no one was in it as he stepped in and hit the button for the parking garage once again with his foot. He looked down at her when she stirred and groaned again and watched her eyes flutter open and gaze around, tiredly.

"Morning, sunshine," he smirked and her eyes shot wide as she looked at him in disbelief.

"What the hell---?!" she growled then realized he was carrying her. "Put me down! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Keeping you from being trampled on in the hall," Xander retorted, setting her on the floor again. "You passed out outside the briefing room."

"Where's the---?"

"I put it in your purse," Xander answered her question before she finished it. She didn't bother saying thank you as she started rummaging through her purse to look at the file again. He glanced up at the top of the elevator door as the numbers of the floors changed as they went down then leaned back on the wall closest to him.

"So, what happened?" he asked her and Natasha glanced at him for a second but back at the file in her hands.

"You don't have to make small talk," she replied, flipping a page of the file. "You don't like me, and I don't like you, so let's ignore each other until we go away."

"That'll be hard, considering you're gonna be riding with me to your place," Xander replied and Natasha shot a wide-eyed look of disbelief at him, shutting the file closed.

"What?!" she squeaked. "Why?!"

"You didn't drive _yourself_ here, did you?" he smirked and realization dawned on her that she hadn't.

"Aw, dammit!" she growled, slapping the heel of her hand to her forehead.

"That's what I thought," Xander nodded and Natasha only gave him a glare. "Looks like I'm taking you home."

"I'd rather walk," she grumbled, shoving the file back into her purse as the elevator stopped and the doors opened to the parking garage.

"Suit yourself," Xander shrugged, walking out and Natasha followed him then stopped outside the elevator. "Hope you know your way home."

She stared at him as he walked away, rummaging through a pocket to get his keys and she groaned, realizing she _didn't_ know the way home.

"Wait!" she called and he stopped to look at her as she hurried toward him. "Alright, fine. You can take me home, but it doesn't mean I like you any better."

"Same here," Xander replied as they headed toward his GTO and got in. She sighed as she sat her purse in her lap then stared out her window as he started the car and asked, "Where do you live?"

"Just leave me at a bus stop somewhere," she mumbled. "I'll find my way home."

"A bus stop?" he echoed and she looked at him as he frowned at her.

"Yeah," she replied. "What's the issue here?"

"Let me ask the question differently," he said. "What _city_ do you live in?"

Natasha glared at him then looked away from him again and mumbled something he didn't quite catch.

"What was that?" he urged and she sighed, rolling her eyes and turning back to him.

"Pasadena," she retorted and quickly turned back to the window as Xander stared wide eyes at her.

"California?!" he wondered if he'd heard right and when she said nothing he sighed and shifted gears to start driving then said, "You're staying with me tonight, then."

Natasha whipped her head around and stared at him with wide eyes as she chirped, "What?!"

"It's either that, or stay in a hotel," he shrugged. "We're gonna see each other again in the morning anyway, and we'll be staying together when we get to Tokyo."

"That doesn't mean we have to start living together _now_," she retorted as they pulled out of the parking structure. "We're not under cover _yet_."

"Wouldn't hurt to start practicing," Xander replied. "We'll have to fake that we like each other anyway. We'll _need_ practice for that."

Natasha sneered at him and let out a breath that was more like a raspberry that made Xander chuckle. She glared him again but he didn't pay attention to her as he continued driving and she leaned an elbow on the window frame to lean her cheek on her hand. She didn't argue any more about living with him. She figured she really had no choice, considering she had no car, no home here and only a little bit of money. She could afford a hotel room, but how would she get to the airport the next morning? She figured this _was_ the best solution, the only downside was being around Xander and, oh, yeah, saving the world.

"So, you leave behind some little whipped bastard behind who'll be pining away for you till you get back, Pierce?" Xander suddenly asked, jolting her from her thoughts and she glared at him.

"It's Pierson," she corrected. "And no. I don't have a boyfriend, if that's what you're asking." She turned back to the window, gritting her teeth when she saw him smirk at her mood but turned back to ask, "What about you? Leaving behind a thin little model like girl that'll cheat on you while you're gone? You look like the type to go for a model."

"No," he replied, stopping at a light. "I had a girl from the last mission but she left me."

"I feel for you," Natasha lied, flatly and turned back to the window.

"She was great at first but she got to be a pain in the ass later," he continued, making a turn at the light when it turned green. "Or maybe it was me."

"It was you," Natasha guessed, examining her nails and Xander gave her a sideways glare which she ignored.

"_And Gibbons honestly thought I could fall for her?_" he thought to himself, but said instead said, "So, Gibbons wasn't specific about our covers."

"No, he wasn't," Natasha agreed. "Why do you say that?"

"I'm just wondering how we're gonna pass ourselves off when we get to Tokyo," Xander replied.

"We could be siblings," she shrugged. "We hate each other enough to be brother and sister."

"They'll see right through that," Xander replied, shaking his head, slightly.

"Well, we can't be boyfriend and girlfriend," Natasha scoffed. "They'll _truly_ see through that."

"Well, we have to pick something," he insisted. "Being a couple just seems like the natural fit."

"There has to be something else," she argued. "We'll rip each other to shreds in front of the gang and they'll _know_ we're agents."

"Maybe," he shrugged, "or we could make it _real_ performance and just suck it up and act like we're madly in love."

"Why are you pushing that?" she wondered, looking at him with a frown and he didn't look at her as he only continued driving. Why _was_ he pushing it?

"Fine, never mind," he snapped. "Let's do what _you_ wanna do."

"Well, don't sound so enthused," she retorted, looking back out the window. "Brother and sister could work."

"Fine, _Princess_," Xander nearly hissed and she glared at him.

"But being a couple would probably work better!" Natasha snapped. "Maybe a _married_ couple since we almost _sound_ like one!"

"You're sleeping on my couch tonight!" Xander spat. "I _was_ gonna give you the spare room but you're _really_ bein' a pain in the ass!"

"I need a bed for my back!" she shouted.

"Forget it!" he shot back. "I don't care! Couch!"

Natasha growled and crossed her arms over her chest with a pout. This was gonna be a "fun" mission. She hated it already.

* * *

**A/N: **ah, good ol' Xander is so nice, huh? YES I GOT RID OF YELENA! i don't know why, but she kinda irritated me. i like her and all, but...eh. anywho, reviews?


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